NOVEMBER 4, 2008

Waiting To Vote

I hate waiting.

I joined National Car Rental’s Emerald Club so I can bypass the counter. I will happily ring up my own groceries at the self check-out lane. I often carry on my luggage- waiting at the baggage claim is excruciating.

There are some things I will wait for: a palace special #1 at Kabob Palace; a video to fully load on YouTube (and I know you’ve done it too); and if I’m Elliot Yamin, I’d probably wait for You.

Voting is something I don’t want to wait to do (now I’m more like Paula Cole). I am excited about this election and I am not alone. Many predict record voter turnout. This will be a race that will make history no matter who wins- and everyone wants to have their say.

Rise in registered voters + historic election = long lines.

This is a line I will stand in (because it’s certainly worth it), but it is not a line I’m looking forward to.

Of course, I could have bypassed the lines all together if I had decided to vote early. In at least 34 states voters cast their ballot in person before November 4th. Pretty convenient for those that wants to avoid the possible long lines. Virginia doesn’t have “Early Voting” like in other states, but those that qualify can vote early (in person or by mail) via absentee ballot. According to the AP, over 300,000 absentee ballots were cast in Virginia exceeding 2004’s number of 220,000.

We have been voting in this country since 1776, but we’re always looking for ways to make voting as convenient as many of our other daily errands. Let’s expand early voting to more states so that those that want to express their voice can do so when they want to. Wouldn’t you be more excited about voting if you weren’t dreading today’s long lines?